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Canada takes action to increase equity, diversity in research

OTTAWA – Science is strongest when all people—regardless of their gender, race or heritage—are encouraged to ask questions, share their ideas and shape how we understand the world around us. The Government of Canada understands this and is committed to fostering greater equity, diversity and inclusion in the sciences so that all Canadians have the chance to discover and innovate in ways that lead to news skills and jobs, a cleaner environment and a stronger economy.

To deliver on this commitment, Kirsty Duncan, the Minister of Science, has announced a series of changes to the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program. The changes are informed by recommendations made in the Fundamental Science Review and include:

Limiting Tier 1 chairs to a single renewal, allowing chairholders to hold a maximum of two, seven-year terms;
Allowing universities additional flexibility to convert chairs between Tier 1 and Tier 2 and across disciplines until December 2019 to promote greater uptake of diverse researchers into these prestigious positions; and
Revising the distribution of regular chair allocations across the federal research granting councils to promote research excellence in the natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities.
By announcing these changes, Minister Duncan continues to implement policies that address the chronic underrepresentation of women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities and persons with disabilities in the CRC Program.

“We must make every effort to give more people – women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities and persons with disabilities – the chance to make their greatest contribution to research,” said Duncan. “Today’s changes to the CRC Program will encourage greater diversity in research and will show Canadians that they have a place in science no matter their gender, race or heritage.”

In addition to these changes, universities have been given a deadline of this December to submit Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans that will map out how they will meet the diversity and equity targets. Universities that do not meet their targets risk having new CRC Program funding withdrawn.

By creating a welcoming culture of science, the Minister is ensuring the future of Canadian research is diverse, inclusive and open to all talented people who are eager to make a difference in the sciences.

“The Canada Research Chairs Program is building research excellence in Canada through its pursuit of a more equitable, diverse and inclusive research landscape,” said Ted Hewitt, president, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Chair of the Canada Research Chairs Program Steering Committee. “As such, it is the cornerstone of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world’s top countries in research and development in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, and social sciences and humanities.”

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ILGA Europe launches appeal to help the LGBTI movement in Azerbaijan

ILGA-Europe have launched an urgent appeal to help organizations on the ground support victims of the crisis in Azerbaijan, where members of the LGBTI community are being targeted by police raids.

Members of the LGBTI community in Baku are being actively targeted by police raids, with those detained being assaulted, forcibly medically examined, fined or forced to reveal contact details from their mobile phones.

ILGA-Europe have launched an urgent appeal for donations to help organizations in the region to support these victims. Based on their experience in responding to the human rights crisis in Chechnya, they can provide grants to activists working with victims to meet their needs. This might be used to provide psychosocial support, medical assistance, help with rehousing, or legal fees when someone is under arrest, and for court hearings.

Funds will be re-granted to activists working directly with victims and used by ILGA-Europe to cover costs directly associated with working on the crisis in Azerbaijan in line with ILGA-Europe’s accountability standard.

Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=83171

Gay Marriage in Malta becomes law of land next Friday

MALTA — Last month, Malta’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to advance a marriage equality bill after the third and final debate on the issue. Malta will become the 23rd country with marriage equality and gay couples can start marrying as of next Friday, when all provisions of the amended Marriage law come into force.

The Times of Malta reported that Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority the changes proposed by the government to the Marriage Act, which replaced references to a mother or father with ‘parent’ and a husband or wife with ‘spouse’.

Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo was the only dissenting voice, voting against the law and ignoring the party whip.

The government had rejected amendments put forward by the PN to include the gender-neutral terminology alongside references to a mother, father, husband or wife. But the PN parliamentary group still voted in favor of the gender-neutral law to fulfill its own electoral pledge.

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African Union endorses major new initiatives to end AIDS

GENEVA, ADDIS ABABA —African heads of state have endorsed two major new initiatives to help end AIDS by 2030. The community health workers initiative aims to recruit, train and deploy 2 million community health workers across Africa by 2020. The western and central Africa catch-up plan aims to rapidly accelerate access to HIV treatment in the region and close the gap in access between African regions. The initiatives were endorsed at the AIDS Watch Africa Heads of State and Government Meeting, held on 3 July during the 29th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Western and central Africa catch-up plan

Under the leadership of countries and regional economic communities, and in collaboration with UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders and other partners, the catch-up plan in western and central Africa, which started implementation in late 2016, seeks to dramatically accelerate the scale-up of HIV testing, prevention and treatment programmes, with the goal of putting the region on the Fast-Track to meet the 90–90–90 targets by December 2020.

While the world witnesses significant progress in responding to HIV, with 57% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 46% of all people living with HIV accessing treatment and 38% of all people living with HIV virally suppressed in 2015, the western and central Africa region lags behind, achieving only 36%, 28% and 12%, respectively, in 2015. The gap is considerable: 4.7 million people living with HIV are not receiving treatment, and 330 000 adults and children died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2015.

“We cannot accept a two-speed approach to ending AIDS in Africa,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “To put western and central Africa on track to end AIDS, we must address stigma, discrimination and other challenges to an effective response, allocate funding to support the most effective strategies and implement delivery strategies that reach the communities most in need.”

The catch-up plan will aim to increase the number of people on treatment from 1.8 million to 2.9 million by mid-2018, giving an additional 1.2 million people, including 120 000 children, access to urgently needed treatment.

The first call for a catch-up plan for the region was made at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS in June 2016. Since then, at least 10 countries (Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone) have developed country operational plans deriving from the western and central Africa catch-up plan with a focus on ensuring the needed policy and structural changes.

Two million community health workers

The community health worker initiative aims to accelerate progress towards achieving the 90–90–90 targets by 2020—whereby 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status are accessing treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads—and to lay the foundation for sustainable health systems. Championed by the President of Guinea and African Union Chair, Alpha Condé, the initiative seeks to confront the acute health workforce shortages across Africa and improve access to health services for the most marginalized populations, including people living in rural areas.

“Recruiting 2 million community health workers is a critical step towards achievement of the Africa-wide socioeconomic transformation envisioned in the African Union’s Agenda 63”, said Mr Condé. “Few tools have the ability of community health workers to drive progress across the entire breadth of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Substantial evidence, from both Africa and elsewhere, demonstrates that well-trained, properly supervised community health workers provide an excellent quality of care and improve the efficiency and impact of health spending. Community health workers have helped devise some of the most effective service delivery strategies for HIV testing and treatment, and studies have also linked community-delivered services with increased rates of immunization, exclusive breastfeeding and malaria control coverage.

“Sustainable community health work is a matter of survival and development in Ethiopia, said Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn. “My community health workers have made better health happen. Achieving universal health coverage is not possible without building community health systems.”

UNAIDS estimates that there are more than 1 million community health workers in Africa today, but most focus on a single health problem and are under-trained, unpaid or under-paid, and not well integrated in health systems. The new initiative endorsed by AIDS Watch Africa seeks to retrain existing community health workers, where feasible, and to recruit new health workers to reach the 2 million target.

“Few investments generate such a remarkable social and economic return as community health workers,” said Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University. “Community health worker programmes are essentially self-sustaining, in that they avert illness, keep workers healthy and productive and contribute to economic growth and opportunity.”

While community health workers may hold the key in many settings to achieving the 90–90–90 targets, the benefits of this new initiative extend well beyond the AIDS response. The initiative will expedite gains across the health targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3, create new jobs that will strengthen local and national economies and offer new opportunities to young people. The new initiative is aligned with the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health.

Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free

At the AIDS Watch Africa meeting, the participants also called on member states and development partners to support the African Union campaign to eliminate new HIV infections among children and keep mothers alive as part of the Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free collaborative framework.

“Complacency gives birth to regression of the gains made in reducing HIV prevalence, said, Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda. “We in Uganda have rekindled the campaign to end AIDS; the science exists, as well as the medication. We can win this battle.”

Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=80841

Marriage equality moves forward in Germany

BERLIN — Today, the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany’s parliament, voted to make marriage equality the law of the land. Once the legislation is approved by Bundesrat, the upper house, – which is expected to be a formality – and signed into law by the president, Germany will become the 22nd country to secure full marriage equality for same-sex couples.

The vote came days after Chancellor Angela Merkel signaled that she was open to changing Germany’s marriage laws to include same-sex couples, prompting a hurried push from opposition lawmakers to pass the so-called marriage-for-all legislation, reported the Huffington Post.

According to the report Merkel’s shift came after she visited a lesbian couple raising eight foster children. She called her dinner with the family “a life-changing experience” and said she realized her party’s arguments against same-sex marriage were no longer valid.

“We welcome the German people into the growing family of nations that ensure loving and committed same-sex couples have the right to marry,” said Ty Cobb, Director of HRC Global. “With the very serious challenges the LGBTQ community continues to face around the world, this is welcome news and an important victory in working to ensure LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society. We congratulate the German advocates who made this historic day possible through their tireless advocacy.”

Although German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party, the conservative Christian Democrats, has been historically opposed to marriage equality, many individual legislators within the party do support it. Merkel indicated a possible shift in her viewpoint by opening a path forward for the vote. Her decision to allow the vote followed a move by her coalition partner, the Social Democrats, who announced their continued support for Merkel’s government would be contingent on her backing marriage equality.

Recent polling shows that 66 percent of Germans support full marriage equality. Germany has had same-sex civil unions since 2001, although those unions lacked the full dignity, legal protections and rights that come with marriage, including on adoption rights.

In Malta, another European Union nation, members of parliament are also expected to vote soon in favor of marriage equality. This progress in Europe comes on the heels of a recent victory in Asia, where Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled in favor of marriage equality in May.

Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=80779

The LGBT community’s seal of approval should mean more than fundraising

While I am not associated with the No Justice, No Pride group I support its efforts against certain corporate involvement and financial support of Pride activities. Most recently No Justice, No Pride activists blocked Washington’ DC’s Capitol Pride Parade not once but three times.

According to Dcist.com, Jen Deerinwater, a No Justice, No Pride participant and a two-spirit member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, denounced several Capital Pride sponsors including the federal agencies FBI, NSA, CIA, and federal contractor Lockheed Martin for native genocide. She also mentioned Wells Fargo for its support of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Deerinwater might have also criticized former President Barack Obama who, in his final days in office, deployed federal agents to brutalize peaceful protesters in North Dakota.

Where I agree with Deerinwater and No Justice, No Pride is in their view the government brutalizes U.S. citizens for their political beliefs. Tea Party members who were brutalized by Obama’s Internal Revenue Agents might also agree with No Justice, No Pride.

I agree with No Justice, No Pride that corporate bad actor Wells Fargo should be banned from Pride activities in DC and around the nation. Disclosure: I am a dissenting stockholder in Wells Fargo. I criticized Wells’ predatory lending practices before and after they became public. Wells’ corrupt lending practices hurt tens of thousands of borrowers including customers of color and the LGBT community.

When Wells Fargo was exposed for creating accounts for customers without their consent, former corrupt CEO John Stumpf was forced to resign and forego multi-million dollar bonuses the corporation planned to bestow on him for his “leadership.” I believe Stumpf and other Wells Fargo executives should go to prison.

The economic damage Wells Fargo caused individuals, businesses and communities across the country is inestimable. Bad credit scores increase the cost of borrowing for those affected and this translates to less disposable income, less charitable donations and less support of community organizations like schools, houses of worship and others.

Wells Fargo’s business decision to support the Dakota Access Pipeline is controversial and has drawn protest supporters from Hollywood. Activists in many cities, like New York, have convinced mayors and city council members to divest from Wells Fargo over the pipeline. Whether this amounts to “native genocide” as Deerinwater said, I am not qualified to address.

Wells Fargo’s consumer credit fraud, however, was a violation of state and federal laws and it was outright theft for which the corporation should not be rewarded nor trusted to manage with any government financial accounts. Big Gay organizations which place their seal of approval on Wells Fargo’s employment practices should immediately remove any such endorsements until they are convinced the corporation has adequately compensated individuals adversely impacted by the massive customer fraud.

I am a dissenting stockholder in two other corporations, both bad actors, who are Pride supporters: Walgreens and Starwood Hotels. Myissues with Walgreens include sales of tobacco products and for repeated fines by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

I provided the editor with a letter from former Walgreens CEO Jeff Rein where he shamelessly defends the corporation’s right to peddle addictive and deadly tobacco products. I urge the editor to post Walgreens’s letter so all can read it. I wrote the corporation at the time San Francisco’s politicians banned tobacco sales at city pharmacies.

According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2013 Walgreen Co. agreed to pay $80 in civil penalties for violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Walgreens paid the fines for its illegal distribution of highly addictive painkillers in Florida. According to the DEA website, https://www.dea.gov/divisions/mia/2013/mia061113.shtml, Walgreens had an “unprecedented number of record-keeping and dispensing violations under the Act” for prescription painkillers, including opioids. This is one of many cases against Walgreens for its “violations” of the CSA.

When Walgreens announced support of blood testing by nutcase CEO Elizabeth Homes of Theranos, I immediately objected because industry reports questioned the reliability of the tests and the Theranos testing methods. The Wall Street Journal reported the same problems. What, if anything, was Walgreens CEO Stefano Pessina thinking when he endorsed this fraudulent medical testing? I do not believe the LGBT community should be taking money from a corporate crook like Walgreens.

Starwood Hotels, now owned by Marriot Corporation, was successfully sued many times by female employees and guests. Former CEO Richard Nanula posed as porn star “Mr. Rich” and videotaped himself having sex with adult film actresses. A Los Angeles Times investigation followed up on explicit photos posted at Thedirty.com. Nanula was ousted by the board. Starwood has lost sex harassment cases in Philadelphia, Florida and settled others to avoid press attention.

Corporate bad actors Wells Fargo, Walgreens and the former Starwood with its managers now at Marriot, create credibility problems for the LGBT community. Big Gay has its seal of approval on them despite consumer fraud and predatory lending by Wells Fargo, tobacco sales and opioid violations at Walgreens and sex harassment cases against Starwood formerly managed by “Mr. Rich.”

For Big Gay’s seal of approval to mean anything, it must stand for something more than fundraising cash, free hotel rooms, and access to cigarettes. The seal must stand for ethical business practices and withdraw endorsement from companies that commit consumer credit fraud, engage in “unprecedented” violations of the Controlled Substances Act and sexually harass employees and guests. It is time for the LGBT community to get real on what its endorsement really means.

Jim Patterson is a member of the California State Society and writes from Washington DC. See http://www.JEPWriter.blogspot.com for recent writing products.

Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=80648

President Trump begins LGBTQ Pride Month with silence

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump has failed to issue a presidential proclamation honoring June as LGBTQ Pride Month. Instead, the Trump administration prioritized issuing proclamations June 1 around “Great Outdoors Month,” “National Ocean Month,” and “National Homeownership Month.” This silence halts an eight-year precedent set by President Barack Obama in honoring the achievements of LGBTQ Americans and showing support for the community via proclamations and other Pride Month events.

Ivanka Trump sent two tweets on the evening of June 1 wishing “everyone a joyful Pride” and saying she was “proud to support my LGBTQ friends and the LGBTQ Americans who have made immense contributions to our society and economy.” These tweets which were met with an outcry from LGBTQ writers, influencers and leaders.

Michelangelo Signorile, HuffPost’s Queer Voices editor-at-large wrote: “As many pointed out, the tweets are beyond hypocritical since Ivanka Trump champions, defends and never criticizes her father, the president.

“All the while, Donald Trump has stripped transgender students of protections in schools, installed grotesque and overtly homophobic individuals in his cabinet ― from Tom Price to Ben Carson ― and has the anti-LGBTQ Mike Pence leading the way on domestic policy, along with many of the bigots he’s installed in the government as head of Trump’s transition team.”

Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO spoke out issuing the following statement, “Every June, leaders from all walks of life recognize Pride month and stand together in support of LGBTQ people, however President Trump chose to start this Pride month with deafening silence. Even if Ivanka Trump tries to save face with LGBTQ Americans, President Trump’s negligence at the start of Pride month provided another example that this administration is no friend to the community. While the Trump Administration tries to systematically erase LGBTQ people and families from the fabric of this nation, LGBTQ Americans and allies must do what we know best this Pride month – stay visible and march for acceptance.”

Since Day One of his presidency, Donald Trump has approved policy that systematically erases LGBTQ Americans from the fabric of this nation. From removing any mention of “LGBTQ” on government Web sites to rescinding guidance that protection the rights of transgender students at their schools, the Trump Administration has made a point to halt full acceptance for LGBTQ Americans.

This is in stark contrast to President Barack Obama and the previous administration. Aside from issuing a president proclamation for LGBTQ Pride Month each year in office, the Obama Administration advocated for and ushered in a new era of LGBTQ acceptance in this nation, including the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, and the a nationwide victory for marriage equality.

Landmark LGBTQ legislation advances in the California Senate

SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Two bills authored by Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) that enhance rights for transgender Californians passed Wednesday on the Senate floor.

SB 179, the Gender Recognition Act, would make California one of the first states in the country to create a third gender marker on state-issued identification documents for people who identify as nonbinary – neither male nor female. The bill would also streamline the process for transgender, intersex and nonbinary Californians to obtain identification documents that accurately reflect their gender. It passed by a vote of 26-12.

“I thank my colleagues in the Senate who took a brave stand today for Californians who have a hard enough time as it is,” Atkins said. “Most of us use our ID on a daily basis and take it for granted. SB 179 will make what should be a simple task much easier for our transgender and nonbinary neighbors.”

Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is a joint author of SB 179.

“Today, California takes another bold step toward full equality for our LGBTQ community and a more inclusive society,” Wiener said. “We need to make it easier for transgender and gender non-conforming people to live their lives as who they are, not who society says they’re supposed to be. In particular, our LGBTQ youth need to know that we support them and want them to succeed as their authentic selves.”

Transgender Law Center is a sponsor of SB 179.

“Everyone needs access to an ID that accurately reflects who they are,” said Transgender Law Center Executive Director Kris Hayashi. “This simple measure will make daily life for many transgender and nonbinary people infinitely safer and easier.”

SB 310, the Name and Gender Act, establishes the right of people in state prisons and county jails to access the courts to obtain a name or gender change. It also requires corrections officials to use the new name of a prisoner who has successfully obtained a name change.

“Transgender people who are incarcerated should have the same right as anyone else to legally change their name or gender and to be recognized for who they are,” Atkins said. “In addition to providing transgender prisoners with a sense of dignity while incarcerated, SB 310 will give them a better chance to reenter society successfully.”

Equality California is a strong supporter of both SB 179 and SB 310.

“By the time a transgender person applies for a name change or a document accurately reflecting their gender identity, they’ve already made an extremely difficult personal journey,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “The last thing they need is for the government to throw more obstacles in their path. These bills would make a difficult process easier and help protect the basic dignity of transgender and nonbinary people.”

Both bills now advance to the state Assembly for consideration.

Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=80140

141 men arrested in gay sauna in Indonesia

Saturday, May 21 141 men were arrested by Indonesian authorities claiming they were engaging in a “gay sex party” at Atlantis Gym & Sauna in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Those arrested were detained by the North Jakarta District Police. Indonesia does not have laws criminalizing homosexuality, except in the Aceh province, however the country does have severe anti-pornography laws which have been used to target LGBTIQ Web sites and activities.

Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight Action International, commented on the arrests and the wider environment facing LGBTIQ people in Indonesia saying: “OutRight’s research, Creeping Criminalization, shows that regional regulations are departing from national laws and are heavily influenced by fundamentalist interpretations of Islam. These laws are targeting women’s dress codes, any women having relationships outside of marriage, and LGBTIQ people, criminalizing them on grounds of breaching public morality.

“What is happening in Indonesia is dangerous and scary. Officials are using their own personal biases on morality to oppress different groups and especially LGBTIQ people. In the past, the LGBTIQ community has experienced more tolerance in Indonesian society, but particularly over the past 18 months crackdowns have increased and the situation has become much worse for LGBTIQ people. LGBTIQ Indonesians are equal citizens and must not be singled out and oppressed simply for who they love or who they are.

The Telegraph reported that police have so far said that ten will be charged, including the sauna’s owner and several strippers. If found guilty they face a jail term of up to ten years.

Others arrested must be released by Tuesday morning if there is no evidence of criminality found against them. Otherwise they could be detained for 20 days.

Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=79816

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